Thank You

Over the last 12 months, my writing has generated more than 20 million sessions across my platforms and over 500,000 email reads on Substack.

That still feels strange to write.

Because most days, it has just been me at a laptop trying to make sense of football, business, power, people, fairness, and life.

Behind every number is a person.

Someone read.

Someone shared.

Someone sent a message.

Someone stayed with the journey when things were hard.

For that, I am grateful.

The truth is, the last year has been one of the hardest of my life.

I have been off sick with stress.

I do not say that for sympathy.

Most people are carrying something now.

The cost of living is hammering ordinary families. Good people are working harder and somehow ending up with less. Many are putting on a brave face because that is what people do.

I understand that more than ever.

Last year, I spent more time reading legal documents than football articles.

That was never the plan.

I would rather have been writing about football, music, old boots, Blackpool, and the things that bring people together.

Life had other ideas.

So I learned.

I learned about trademark law.

I learned about intellectual property.

I learned about the American legal system.

I learned how pressure works.

I learned how expensive it can be to stand your ground.

But the biggest lesson was not legal.

It was personal.

I learned where I am strong.

I learned where I am stubborn.

I learned where I waste energy.

I learned that not every battle deserves your peace.

And I learned that some people support you quietly.

Those people matter.

Writing became my escape.

Music became my escape.

Football became my escape.

Culture, songs, memories, fairness, old stories, new ideas.

That became my way of staying connected.

Some people watch Netflix.

I write.

That is how I process life.

That is how I keep moving.

I do not go out as much as I used to.

Life looks different now.

Quieter.

Harder in some ways.

Clearer in others.

And the older I get, the more I realise this was never really about money.

Money matters. We all need enough of it.

But money is not the thing.

Trust is the thing.

People are the thing.

Family is the thing.

Doing what is right is the thing.

I have a young family.

I have two young daughters.

That changes everything.

I want to help them more.

I want to be there more.

Properly there.

Not just in the room.

And I want them to see something real.

I want them to know you have to try.

You have to take the shot.

You have to stand up.

Sometimes you lose.

That is life.

But losing after trying is not failure.

The real failure is never trying because you are scared of what people might think.

I do not want my daughters growing up thinking life is about money, status, followers, or applause.

It is not.

Character matters.

Integrity matters.

Keeping your word matters.

Doing what is right matters.

Even when it costs you.

Especially when it costs you.

The last 12 months changed me.

I know myself better now.

I have won some battles.

I have lost some too.

I have made mistakes.

I have learned lessons.

But I am still here.

Still writing.

Still creating.

Still believing ordinary people matter.

To everyone who read an article, listened to a song, bought a product, shared a post, sent a message, or quietly backed me when things were difficult, thank you.

You probably have no idea how much that helped.

The next chapter is not about fighting every battle.

It is about building.

Building trust.

Building relationships.

Building things that matter.

I do not know what the next 12 months will bring.

I do know this.

I want my daughters to grow up knowing their dad had a go.

Not because he thought he would always win.

Because he believed some things were worth standing up for.

And because doing what is right matters more than doing what is easy.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

— Scott